Images

Image of Moel Hebog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by postman

Looking across Llyn Cwmystradllyn to Moel Hebog.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
Image of Moel Hebog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by postman

From the kerb cairn by the north east edge of llyn Cwmystradllyn.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
Image of Moel Hebog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by thesweetcheat

Moel Hebog from Trum y Ddysgl to the north. Moel y Gest hillfort near Porthmadoc can be seen to the right.

Image credit: A. Brookes (30.4.2016)
Image of Moel Hebog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by thesweetcheat

Sunshine and showers over Beddgelert Forest. Moel Hebog to the right of centre, with Moel yr Ogof immediately the right of that, and Moel Lefn completes the trio of summits.

Image credit: A. Brookes (30.4.2016)
Image of Moel Hebog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by postman

Moel Hebog and it’s high cairn cemetary from Mynydd Tal-y-mignedd.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
Image of Moel Hebog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by thesweetcheat

Eastern profile of the mountain, from the Wales Highland Railway near Beddgelert.

Image credit: A. Brookes (19.4.2016)
Image of Moel Hebog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by thesweetcheat

Just a sprinkling of snow on the summit cairn. Seen through the train window from the south.

Image credit: A. Brookes (16.4.2016)
Image of Moel Hebog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by thesweetcheat

Moel Hebog, with Moel yr Ogof on the left, seen from Penrhyn Farm on the coast to the SSW.

Image credit: A. Brookes (17.9.2015)
Image of Moel Hebog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by thesweetcheat

Cloud wreathed Moel Hebog (right), seen from Cwm Dylif on the way up Cnicht.

Image credit: A. Brookes (12.9.2015)
Image of Moel Hebog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by postman

On the far left with it’s head perpetually in the clouds, a bit like me, and many more wonderful things

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
Image of Moel Hebog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by postman

Moel Hebog still reluctant to show itself to us far right horizon, Cnicht was in and out of the clouds all day on the left.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
Image of Moel Hebog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by thesweetcheat

Moel Hebog is the sharply prominent mountain rising right of centre. Yr Wyddfa is far right, the top of the Lleyn peninsula far left. Seen across Traeth Dy.

Image credit: A. Brookes (15.8.2015)
Image of Moel Hebog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by GLADMAN

Moel Hebog’s modest cairn grouping.... looking across to Yr Wyddfa and the rest of The Snowdon Massif.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone.
Image of Moel Hebog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by GLADMAN

Looking across Moel yr Ogof toward the Nantlle Ridge, the right hand section of which, although less well endowed with prehistoric cairns than the left, nevertheless terminates with the fabulous pair upon Y Garn

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Moel Hebog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by GLADMAN

The summit cairn – with moth-eaten OS trig pillar – rises beyond one of its smaller siblings. Having said that, note the embedded footprint, foreground.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Moel Hebog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by GLADMAN

It’s not big, but the placement is pretty clever in my opinion.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Moel Hebog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by GLADMAN

Looking approx north-west from the large summit cairn (note the substantial residue still in situ to the left of the drystone wall) toward the south-western section of the exquisite Nantlle Ridge.... each summit crowned by a massive Bronze Age cairn of its own. Note Tre’r Ceiri and related hills top left.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Moel Hebog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by thesweetcheat

The western side of the summit cairn, where scree and monument blend into one another. It was rather unpleasant on this side of the wall.

Image credit: A. Brookes (28.2.2015)
Image of Moel Hebog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by thesweetcheat

The southern side of the summit cairn. The beginnings of a stupid shelter may be in evidence.

Image credit: A. Brookes (28.2.2015)
Image of Moel Hebog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by thesweetcheat

Detail of the base of the main summit cairn on its northern side.

Image credit: A. Brookes (28.2.2015)
Image of Moel Hebog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by thesweetcheat

Postie provides scale for the denuded summit cairn. The footprint is still visible (even if nothing else is today).

Image credit: A. Brookes (28.2.2015)
Image of Moel Hebog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by postman

We really liked the physical makeup of this mountain, this section of the path particularly took me, it’s very bubbly.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
Image of Moel Hebog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by postman

There are cairns and there are walker cairns up here, Lawd knows which is which though.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
Image of Moel Hebog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by postman

Moel Hebog hides it’s cairn cemetery well, Coflein says there are five non marker cairns up here but admits maybe one of them could be.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
Image of Moel Hebog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by postman

Trig point on a cairn, don’t see many of those do you. The beaker burial was found in this cairn, making this the only sure thing up here, even the rest of the world is a hypothetical presumption from within the clouds.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
Image of Moel Hebog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by postman

The only certain bronze age cairn is under the trig point, here photoed during buttie time whilst failing to hide from the wicked wind blown mist.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
Image of Moel Hebog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by postman

The place of giant stones, eastern slopes of Moel Hebog.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
Image of Moel Hebog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by GLADMAN

Looking approx eastward from Moel Hebog – and its modest Bronze Age cairn cemetery – across Aberglaslyn Pass toward the Moelwyns, the latter bearing further surviving reminders of prehistoric activity (approximately indicated).

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Moel Hebog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by thesweetcheat

Snow-covered Moel Hebog rises centre skyline as we make our way up towards Y Gyrn and Bryn Cader Faner.

Image credit: A. Brookes (19.1.2013)
Image of Moel Hebog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by postman

A hazy Snowdonian valley with Moel Hebog watching over it on the right

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
Image of Moel Hebog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by postman

A hazy Moel Hebog as seen from just below the Nantlle ridge

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
Image of Moel Hebog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by postman

Moel Hebog is the bulk on the left with its cairned scalp in the clouds and Yr Aran is the mini Matterhorn on the right.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
Image of Moel Hebog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by thesweetcheat

Moel Hebog (in shadow, centre) from Moel Siabod. The lake below is Llyn Dinas.

Image credit: A. Brookes (10.12.2011)
Image of Moel Hebog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by GLADMAN

The approach to the mountain top cemetery from Cwm Cloch appears daunting to the average punter such as I. But isn’t that the point? There are alternatives which avoid much of the later scree paths (not to be underestimated), but this is generally regarded as the classic approach, with the added convenience of starting from Beddgelert for those arriving by public transport. No sign of any cairns on the skyline, as you would probably expect by now.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Moel Hebog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by GLADMAN

The cairn cemetery surmounting Moel Hebog (apparently) overlooks numerous settlements, hut circles, burnt mounds – even a stone row – located above the far shore of Llyn Cwmystradllyn.... the image is not filtered, just beautiful evening light.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Moel Hebog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by GLADMAN

The ‘Hill of the Hawk’.... a suitable place for a cairn cemetery.... albeit a modest one (the cairn cemetery, that is). Looking from Trum-y-Ddysgl, Nantlle Ridge. Y Cnicht (far left) and The Moelwyns are the skyline peaks.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Moel Hebog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by GLADMAN

Sometimes I reckon you need to be a Keats or a Wordsworth to describe a scene....particularly one such as this, with the Bronze Age skyline of Moel Hebog rising above temperature inversion in Nant Gwynant. A grouping of hut circles is just out of shot, below to the right, within the mist. The same place the psyche goes at times such as this.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Moel Hebog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by GLADMAN

Looking toward the actual summit cairn surmounted by OS trig point. This cairn is of major importance because I understand that a beaker inhumation was found here, now in the British Museum. No ifs or buts about authenticity here, then.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Moel Hebog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by GLADMAN

The second ‘main’ cairn. Moelwyns Mawr and Bach are visible to right...

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Moel Hebog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by GLADMAN

Moel Hebog’s small summit cemetery seen from the actual summit cairn. Incidentally one of Snowdonia’s classic mountains, Y Cnicht, can be seen right skyline.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Moel Hebog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by GLADMAN

The moth-eaten (they’ve tough moths ‘round here) summit OS triangulation pillar is visible upon the summit cairn, beyond one of the smaller funerary cairns. Tre’r Ceiri is skyline, centre right.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Moel Hebog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by GLADMAN

The most upstanding of the Bronze Age summit funerary cairns.... in other words these are not the finest specimens you’ll ever see. But what a location!! Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) rises immediately above to the right. And there is apparently a beaker in the care of the British Museum that was unearthed from the cairn now surmounted by the OS trig pillar.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Moel Hebog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by GLADMAN

I believe these two may be ‘marker cairns’... that is, not of prehistoric origin ... having said that, the pairing and situation is unusual, so more than happy to be corrected here. The backdrop is of the Snowdon Massif......

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Moel Hebog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by GLADMAN

Sunset towards the Bronze Age ritualistic skyline of Moel Hebog and Moel yr Ogof (to its right), looking across Llyn Gwynant.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone

Articles

Moel Hebog

It was never going to be a blue sky with fluffy white clouds sort of day, there wasn’t going to be 360 degrees of grand sweeping vistas, but, on the drive over there were patches of blue sky, so we crossed our fingers and made our way through the mountains. As luck would have it, and it usually does, upon automobile disembarkation in Beddgelert, the mountain, Moel Hebog, was almost completely hidden among the clouds. But, brave and hardy souls that we are, we carried on regardless. Over the river, over the railway tracks, and off up the hillside, it didn’t take long to get into the clouds, and once in them, we stayed in them.
As you get higher the path crosses rocky outcrops rusty in colour and full of rock balls, like cricket ball sized tektites. I thought of taking one home with me, but when climbing a big mountain the last thing you want is rocks in your pockets.

The path was easy enough to follow, but even so, when a well waterproofed walker passed us coming down I had to ask him if it was far to the top, 15 minutes he said, them turn left, or something like that. He was wrong, perhaps it took him 15 minutes to get down, but it took us longer than that. Or perhaps we’re just old and knackered.
After a certain amount of time it feels like the top is approaching, there is grass once more underfoot, long drifts of snow persist out of the suns sight. The rest of the world still remains out of sight, it’s out there somewhere, one presumes.
When the wind picks up, it really picks up, it’s hard to stand still and even through so many layers I can still feel the cold in the wind. It isn’t and hasn’t rained the whole time but the wind ravaging around in the clouds hurls the mist at you at many hundred miles per hour, threatening to penetrate even the so called waterproofed outer layer.

Throw your arms aloft and shout victoriously into the void, for we have arrived at the top. There are what looks like over half a dozen cairns on the wide short haired mountain top. Coflein says four or five are part of the bronze age cemetery, the rest are walkers cairns. The only definite cairn is the big one under the trig point, half of the cairn abuts against a massive drift of scree, that side of the cairn is far too windy for me, but thesweetcheat braves it for a minute or two. My side of the cairn, the north side seems to have some kerbing still in tact, it could be a fortuitous later arrangement, but I’m willing to look on the bright side, even on a day like today.
After huddling on the wind free side of the wall to consume much needed butties, I set about the mountain top with my camera. Usually, on a good day on the mountain I could easily take four hundred photos, but today I’m barely up to fifty, and half of them are a tad blurry. We’ve taken on the mountain and the weather and come out on top, but barely. After no more than half an hour we follow the wall back down towards Meol yr Ogof, on that good day, we’d have scaled that mountain too but the harsh wind and swirling mists have gotten the better of us. We could have stayed and appreciated the otherworldliness a bit more I guess, but I’ve seen otherworldly enough for today and there are places we could go to after getting back to the car, like Llangernyw Yew tree, the oldest living thing in Wales.
En route back down we came across a strangely magical place, we called it the valley of big rocks, it doesn’t do it much justice, but it is what it says it is. Giant house sized rocks with there own little ecosystems on top, one balances precariously on the edge of a cliff, it was just on the edge of the clouds and visibility was beginning to return. We decided it should be marked on the map, but as it wasn’t and seeing as the place seemed to have a magical quality we deemed the place as to not occupying a real place in our universe but was actually and decidedly other worldy.
And then we were down, the car park was free.

Moel Hebog

A virtually cloudless dawn – tent and car once again caked in ice and Moel Siabod sitting pretty in pink on the skyline – prompts a snap decision to reacquaint myself with the Bronze Age funerary cairns that crown the 2,565ft summit of Moel Hebog... here we go again......

The ‘Hill of the Hawk’ is a fine mountain presenting a distinctive wedge shaped profile when viewed towering above and to the south west of the tourism orientated, yet nonetheless attractive village of Beddgelert. The legend pertaining to Prince Llewelyn’s dog, Gelert, needn’t detain us further, the settlement almost certainly name-checking an early christian linked to the local ruined priory. Hey, but that was only yesterday! For immediately to the north the town is overlooked by Dinas, a flat-topped hillfort, whilst the iconic Dinas Emrys rises above Llyn Dinas a little way to the north-east. You’ve no doubt guessed that the word ‘Dinas’ refers to a fort or stronghold....

The usual route taken by those who wish to ascend Moel Hebog begins in town, where there is a large, albeit expensive, pay and display car park (limited roadside parking is available for those on a budget if you arrive early enough – ha!). After crossing the railway line – incidentally running recently restored steam engines – via a bridge, I follow the public footpath, through woodland glistening with frost, to veer right along a track to the isolated farmsteads within Cwm Cloch. Here the mountain rises in an awesome, majestic display of raw power to the south-west, its profile accentuated by a sky of unprecedented blue. Although the onward path is obvious, the angle is very steep, so it’s just as well the retrospective view grows progressively more magnificent in scope with every step... just for starters check out the prehistoric monuments on display – the two aforementioned hillforts, a distant Carnedd Moel Siabod and, just across the valley, Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) herself... Nice. Sure, it’s a struggle, particularly the last section of unstable scree [please bear this in mind if you are not familiar with such potentially dangerous features] until a pair of modern (I think) marker cairns signify the final stretch, the be-cairned Nantlle Ridge announcing it’s presence beyond a similarly blessed Moel-yr-Ogof, a ferociously biting wind doing likewise.

And there they are. Four, possibly five, small Bronze age cairns crowning the summit plateau before the rather dilapidated OS triangulation pillar. Two are reasonably sized, but by no means large .... and certainly nothing to trouble my Citizen Cairn’d stock of construction eulogies. The others are even smaller, so it’s not really surprising they didn’t really register from my last visit here in the mid-90’s. Sit a-while, however, and it soon becomes apparent that here we have a small Bronze Age cemetery commanding one of the most awesome all-round panoramas you could possibly wish for! Yeah, these people sure knew what they were doing. If you’re looking for eternity, here ‘tis. The multiple-cairned Nantlle Ridge completely dominates proceedings to north-west, Criccieth Castle upon it rock, Tre’r Ceiri and the glistening Lleyn to the west, Southern Snowdonia to the... er... south, not forgetting the mountains of Central Snowdonia to the north-east. Hillforts, dolmens, chambered cairns, Bronze Age cairns.... hell, prehistory wherever you look, all set amongst a landscape of the highest quality.

OK, the Moel Hebog cemetery is a modest one in terms of construction. Perhaps that’s being somewhat generous, even? But make the not inconsiderable effort to come here and I think you’ll leave more emotionally enriched than when you arrived. Which, when you think about it, is not a bad return in this modern world full of bland ‘experiences’ and computer generated fantasy. Give me the real deal any day. Even if it did all but freeze the wotsits off me!

Miscellaneous

Moel Hebog
Barrow / Cairn Cemetery

Moel Hebog – The Hill of The Hawk – is a fine 2,565ft mountain rising to the approx south-west of the attractive town of Beddgelert. Aside from being an truly exceptional viewpoint – assuming a clear day, naturally (yeah, right) – it also possesses at least four Bronze Age funerary cairns in the vicinity of its summit. I make that a cemetery! Anyway, according to our friends at Coflein:

‘1) SH5650346951 – A roughly round cairn base, with only 1 layer of stone left above ground, measuring approx 0.9m in diameter.

2) SH5649546945 – A slightly oval cairn measuring 1.2m x 1.5m and surviving to a height of approx. 0.4m.

3) SH5650246948 – A roughly formed cairn measuring 1m in diameter and surviving to a height of up to 0.3m.

4) SH5649346930 A small, roughly oval cairn measuring 1.5m x 1m and reaching 0.3m in height.‘

Another ‘possible’ is located at SH5648646944. All of the above were noted during an Upland Survey conducted by Archaeophysica, 2005-6.

The ‘classic’ ascent of the mountain is from Beddgelert itself, via Cwm Cloch. Usual warnings and required dress apply... and note you can ‘bag’ another Bronze Age cairn upon nearby Moel yr Ogof if you so wish. Plus fantastic views of The Snowdon Massif, Nantlle Ridge and whatever else takes your fancy.

Sites within 20km of Moel Hebog